The chapters may be longer from this point on, since I'm now using the wiki as a reference for whatever arc I'm on instead of working from memory!

Thank you to subbyp for the idea of Zosan/Sanzo having blades on his shoes!

"Oh, Robin-chan, my darling, can I do anything for you?" Sanji exclaimed as Robin entered the kitchen.

"Could I trouble you for some petit fours?" she asked, sitting at the table.

"Of course, of course! How has your day been?"

"Nami-chan and I fused again," Robin said as Sanji busied himself with the fridge. "That extra mouth has developed its own personality. I apologize in advance for anything it says to you."

"Hm? Not at all," Sanji said. "Where is Nami-san now?"

"She said she wanted to try something with Luffy," Robin said, resting her head on her hand and smiling. "Something fusion-related, most likely."

"I see, I see," Sanji said, nodding. He forced a sad look away from his face and hurried into the pantry to fetch the dry ingredients. As he emerged, the kitchen door opened again, and Usopp shuffled in.

"Can I have some water?" he asked. He perked up. "What're you making?"

"Nothing for you," Sanji snapped. "You'll get leftovers if there are any."

"Okay, okay!" Sanji poured and handed him a glass of water, and he threw back his head and drank it all down, giving the glass back to Sanji. "I'm just gonna . . . I'm gonna go talk to Zoro."

"He's in the observatory, exercising," Robin said.

"Thanks."

"Hey, Usopp?" Usopp turned around and looked at Sanji. "Luffy told me once that if he and Ace had problems with their fusion, they would sit and meditate together."

"Luffy, meditating?" Usopp said in surprise. He blinked. "Oh, I see. Thanks, Sanji!"

He hurried out of the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

"Has he had trouble fusing with Zoro in the past?" Robin asked.

"You could say that," Sanji said. "You could also say their fusion tried to stage a mutiny. But let's not get into that."

"If you say so."

Usopp screamed from outside, and a minute later Luna burst into the kitchen, exclaiming, "Hey, Sanji-kun, guess what I can do!"

Without waiting for an answer, they raised their hand and flicked their wrist. Sanji's hair stood on end and he slammed his hands onto the counter with palms flat, trying to discharge the electricity.

"What—" He shook his head, trying to dispel the remains of the static, and blinked at Luna, dazed. "What was that?"

They grinned and stretched languidly across the dining room table. "Nami noticed her fusions were absorbing the abilities of the Clima Tact," they explained. Their three eyes wandered over to Robin. "Hi, Robin! Since Luffy's made of rubber, he isn't hurt by electricity! So I can create electricity from the Clima Tact's Thunder Balls, and I'm not hurt when I produce charges!"

"Fascinating," Robin said, smiling. "It reminds me of that 'God' we met in the clouds."

"The difference is I'm cooler and prettier," Luna said, sticking out their tongue. They sat up, twirling their mop of shocking red hair around a finger. "What're you making, Sanj?"

"Nothing for—" Sanji took a deep breath, rolling bits of dough into small pastries. "If you'd like to unfuse, Nami-san may partake."

Luna snuck over to him and tapped his shoulder. When he looked at them, they pulled a pout, rounded their eyes, and said, "Sanji-kun, please?"

"Anything for you, my darling, dear—!" Sanji shook his head, smacking his forehead. "Damn it!"

"Thought that would work," Luna muttered. They unfused. Luffy reached for the raw dough and Sanji smacked his hands with a spatula while Nami stretched her arms, blinking.

"Sanji-kun, send some of those down the dumbwaiter when they're ready," she said, waving a hand as she exited the kitchen to Sanji's cry of complacence.

"Gimme some too," Luffy insisted.

"Nami-san and Robin-chan get first pick!" Sanji snapped. "Come back later!"

"I'm gonna fuse with Nami again and zap you."

"Get out!"

Chopper climbed the rigging and poked his head into the observatory. "Usopp, are you up here?" he exclaimed. "I wanted to ask, do you wanna go fish—?"

Before him sat a large man with four arms, each hand resting on crossed legs. His three eyes were closed and dark green curly hair fell about his face. As Chopper watched, he opened the eye on his forehead. Chopper squeaked and almost fell through the trapdoor.

"Whoa, whoa," said the man, reaching out and plucking him from the rigging. "Careful."

"Zosopp?" Chopper whispered.

"What? Oh, right, we haven't met." Zosopp gave him a grin, holding him up in front of his face as he opened the rest of his eyes. "Nice to see you, Chopper."

"It's nice to meet you, too! So, are you, um . . . ? Did I interrupt something?"

"Sort of, but it's okay." Zosopp stood and tossed Chopper into the air, causing a shriek before he caught him again. "I'll show you my boomerang blade later."

"You have a boomerang blade?" Chopper gasped, climbing up one of his arms to his shoulder.

"Sure do. It's the best weapon on the ship. Could beat the cook's ass any time."

"Wow! Can I see it now?!"

"Actually, there's something I need to do before any showing off," Zosopp admitted. "I need to apologize to Captain Lu—"

He froze, setting Chopper on the bench and hurrying to the window. He went to the loudspeaker, pressed the button, and announced, "There's something in the water!"

"Dunno," Zosopp said in answer to Luffy's question. "It was just floating there."

"Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Nami said.

"There's an elephant?" Chopper said, alarmed.

"She means me," Zosopp said.

"You're an ele—? What?"

"His nose is long enough for it," Franky remarked. "So, you're Zosopp?"

Zosopp nodded. "Nice to meet you, and you," he said to him and Robin. He turned to Luffy. "Captain, I—"

"It could have alcohol in it," Robin said. Zosopp unfused and Zoro slunk towards the barrel with a gleam in his eye.

"Zoro, geez, warn me!" Usopp snapped. "We didn't get to finish what we wanted to say!"

"I already know," Luffy said, shovelling desserts into his mouth. "Apology from Zosopp accepted. Robin, what were you saying?"

Luffy was quick to get ready to climb up to the skeleton's ship. Nami and Sanji were quick to be volunteered to keep him out of trouble, and Sanji was quick to turn to Nami and say, "My dear, would you consider fusing for extra protection? That way we'll be stronger, and it would help us keep Luffy from making a mess of things!"

Nami stared at him, hesitated, and then turned around, calling, "Luffy, wait up!"

"Ow," Franky whispered as Sanji hung his head, trudging after her. "Have they ever fused?"

"They haven't."

"I don't think so?"

"No."

"We'd all know about it if they did. Sanji would tell everyone."

"Wait, what'd you say?" Luffy exclaimed. "You came back to life through a Devil Fruit?"

"Yo-ho, indeed!" Brook cried. "I—I say, why the glum look all of a sudden? Surely you don't have anything against Fruit users?"

"No," Luffy mumbled, his head on the table. "It's nothing. Go on."

"It's probably for the best," Sanji said under his breath as Brook could only stare in confusion.

"In any case, I'm very sorry," Nami said, bowing her head as she knelt before Chopper and Usopp. "Won't one of you fuse with me for protection?"

"Protect yourself!" Usopp huffed, folding his arms. "Chopper, let's do you and me!"

"Sure!" Chopper exclaimed. "Let me just move off of these bones—"

He screamed and jumped away.

Due to the chaos and confusion of fleeing from the large three-headed dog, Chopper and Usopp ended up unable to fuse, and by the time they were invited into a carriage by a strange little batlike man, Chopper was too excited over the prospect of meeting a famous doctor to think about anything else.

"Nami," Usopp whispered, grabbing her hand. "I changed my mind. I wanna fuse."

"Okay, just—" Nami squeezed his hand back. "Let's do this."

Their synchronized fear made fusing a snap, and before long Usomi was back, their hair tied back in a cute ponytail underneath Usopp's hat. Their overalls had turned white and back into a short skirt style over thigh boots.

"Usomi!" Chopper cried, tearing up. "You're here!"

Usomi stared at the approaching zombies. They passed their two-handed arm over themselves, said, "Good luck, Chopper!" and successfully vanished.

"What?!" Chopper screamed, looking around with tears in his eyes as the zombies shuffled towards him. "Where'd you go?! Hey! Don't leave me behind! Jerk!"

Invisible hands scooped him up and he found himself being carried away at full speed. He screamed and started hitting his kidnapper.

"It's me!" Usomi exclaimed, somewhere to his left.

"Don't do that!" Chopper cried, hitting them again.

"Cut it out! The important thing is, the zombies can't find us now!"

"Hey!" one zombie exclaimed, pointing. "Look! A flying raccoon-dog!"

"I always knew they could fly!" another one said. "Get him!"

"They can see me just fine!" Chopper cried, tears in his eyes as he hit Usomi again. "This isn't working at all!"

"Oh, do you want me to leave you behind instead?! I thought so! Hold still!"

Usomi tucked Chopper under one arm and sped away from the horde of the undead.

"Usomi?" Chopper said as Cindry led the two of them down the hall. "Are you gonna unfuse? We're meeting the famous Dr. Hogback!"

"I don't trust this guy," Usomi whispered. "Who lives on an island full of zombies voluntarily? It's suspicious. No, I'll stay like this so he doesn't find out about Usopp and Nami."

"You don't trust—? That's rude!"

"What are you two talking about back there?" Dr. Hogback asked without turning around.

"Oh, nothing, sir!" Usomi exclaimed. "Nothing at all!"

"Don't look! I'm not! And neither should you! Shut up! This was a bad idea. I needed a shower, too! We're equally dirty! We're the same person right now!"

Usomi covered their own eyes in the shower while they attempted to clean themselves with their double-handed arm. After an argument where Usopp and Nami yelled at each other with Usomi's voice, alarming Chopper, Usomi had decided to take a shower while fused, and asked Chopper to guard them. Chopper hadn't been very happy about the situation, and had even suggested fusing with them so they could all get clean, but grudgingly agreed to watch the door in the end when Usomi flattered him by praising his strength and manliness.

"This was a bad idea," Usomi repeated. "Shut up. It's almost over. I'm almost done."

As they turned off the water and peered through their fingers to search for the towels, a noise made them whip around.

"Who's there?" they called.

"So you noticed?" said a voice too close by. "You're smarter than you look. But are you a—?"

Usomi waved their hand around themselves. In a split second, copies of their body appeared all around the room.

"What?!" the invisible assailant cried as Usomi, now invisible themselves, grabbed a towel and snuck out the door. "Which one is the real one?!"

A yell of frustration followed them as the door slammed shut, their copies vanished, and Usomi slumped against the wall, a towel around their body.

"What happened?" Chopper exclaimed.

"Someone was there," Usomi whimpered. "Someone invisible."

"Invisible?"

"I have to go back in. I forgot my clothes." Usomi rounded their eyes and stared at Chopper pleadingly. "Can you check if he's gone?"

"What were you doing, you idiot?!" Hogback exclaimed as Absalom joined him and Perona in the castle grounds.

"Looking for a bride," Absalom growled. "Wasn't sure I saw any women, though."

"If you mean the person with the long nose, you can have that one," Hogback said dismissively. "I've never seen a bounty poster with that face."

"I told you, I wasn't sure if that one was a woman! I want to be certain before my precious wedding, Hogback!"

"Putting aside desperate, pitiful men," Perona interrupted, pulling out several posters, "it seems the Strawhat crew has landed here! We've yet to spot Sogeking or Cat Burglar Nami on the island, and we haven't confirmed if the tall person with the nose is with them, but everyone else is accounted for!"

"A three-hundred-million bounty, huh?" Hogback said, eyeing Luffy's poster. "Interesting . . ."

"Are you sure he was invisible?" Chopper repeated.

Usomi nodded, straightening their large sweater provided by Hogback. "One hundred percent! Some creep was trying to peek at my delicate young body! I just barely got away, too! I bet everyone on this island is in cahoots!"

"No way!" Chopper snapped. "Dr. Hogback, working with creepy invisible men? Never!"

"There's something really weird going on here, Chopper," Usomi said, picking him up and placing him on their shoulder as they walked back down the hallway. "That skeleton had a Devil Fruit that brought him back to life, remember? And Devil Fruit abilities are unique. How can all these zombies be alive?"

"That's—that's why Dr. Hogback's here," Chopper insisted. "To figure that out. He's not working with them!"

"Working with who?" said Hildon the batlike man, dropping down from the ceiling. Usomi and Chopper screamed. "Calm down, calm down! Say, can you tell me where the young lady and man from earlier went?"

"No idea," Usomi said, starting to sweat. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm worried about them, you see . . . all alone on the island, they must be lost and scared . . ." Hildon sighed and turned around. "Dr. Hogback and Cindry have gone to bed. Let me show you to your quarters."

As soon as the zombies in the hallway tried to jump Usomi and Chopper, Usomi pointed at one and it caught fire.

"Hey!" it screamed, rolling around on the floor. "That's just rude! Ow! Ow!"

"Back off!" Usomi yelled, grabbing Chopper again and holding him close. They held up their pointer finger. "Nobody move or you'll suffer the same fate!"

"I didn't know you could do that!" Chopper cried as Usomi backed up, bumping into the fireplace.

"Neither did I," Usomi whispered. The fireplace spun behind them, and the two of them fell into a hidden room.

"I'm just saying—"

"No," Zoro, Franky, Sanji, and Robin said together.

Luffy pouted and stuck out his lower jaw. "I'm just saying, that 600,000,000-beri attack would've been a lot cooler if—"

"It worked just fine without fusing," Zoro said, rolling his eyes.

"You and I can't fuse, Luffy," Robin reminded him.

"I don't want to fuse with some third-rate swordsman," Sanji said.

"I don't have any experience, but I don't doubt it'd be easier for you to drag us into stupid things if you fuse with someone," Franky said. "Let's do it another time, alright?"

Luffy scowled and looked away from the group. "Usopp would do it," he muttered.

"Usopp is missing," Robin said. "Chin up, Luffy, I bet one of these zombies will agree to join the crew."

"Don't encourage him," Zoro hissed as Luffy perked up.

"See!" Luffy insisted as the group set off down the hallway. "If me and Sanji had fused, he wouldn't've disappeared."

"No, but Sanlu would've," Zoro said, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Of course he's fine! It's just—"

"You wanted to disappear with him to have an adventure," Robin finished.

"That can be arranged," the pig zombie Buhichuck piped up.

"Quiet, you," Franky snapped, smacking it.

"I've already decided on a bride!" Absalom yelled, pushing the zombie Lola away. He held up Nami's bounty poster, stolen from Perona. "As soon as I find her, I will make her mine!"

Lola squinted at the bounty poster. "This woman is on the island?"

"Somewhere! We haven't confirmed her whereabouts, but—"

"Then I'll find her first, and I'll kill her!"

"Wait!" Absalom roared, but Lola was already charging away.

"Usomi!" Chopper exclaimed, opening the second, larger coffin. "Wake up!"

Usomi tumbled out of their coffin, which jostled them awake. The squirrels who had been carrying them ran off and the two Strawhats figured out their situation.

"So we could run . . . oh, but there's that treasure room," Usomi remembered. They scratched their head, scowling. "Running, treasure, running, treasure, running, treasure . . ."

"Usomi?" Chopper said, concerned.

With a flash of light and a loud pop, Usopp and Nami were thrown apart. Usopp was back in his clothes he'd donned before entering the island, and Nami was wearing the sweater Usomi had put on, now smaller to suit her body, along with a long skirt.

"Why do you get to keep the cute sweater?" Usopp complained, sitting up. He winced, rubbing his head. "Ow, ow, ow."

"Because I'm the cutest," Nami said, sitting up. She winced and rubbed her head. "Ow, ow, ow."

"Are you guys okay?" Chopper said.

"I'm fine, it's just, I'm not used to fusing for that long," Usopp said.

"Same here," Nami said. She sighed and stared into the distance. "Treasure . . ."

"No!" Usopp and Chopper yelled.

"We're getting out of here!" Usopp yelled.

"This island stinks!" Chopper yelled.

"It's awful!"

"I hate zombies!"

"No treasure is worth this!"

As they argued, they failed to notice they were being surrounded.

"Fuse with me, one of you!" Nami exclaimed as the zombie Lola pursued the three Strawhats. "We'll at least get away faster!"

Usopp and Chopper looked away.

"Oh, come on! Please?!"

"If we fuse now, she'll see it!" Usopp protested.

"She's only after you!" Chopper exclaimed. "If we fuse in front of her, she'll just come after the fusion!"

"Some friends you are! You won't even help me take on my personal enemies?!"

"Some battles you must fight alone," Usopp whispered. Nami smacked him again.

"Franky," Robin said as they stood back-to-back on the bridge. "Fuse with me."

"Huh?" he exclaimed, keeping an eye on the zombies slowly closing in on them. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. If we just stick together . . ." She squeezed his hand in hers with some difficulty. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

Franky grinned. "I like you. Alright, Nico Robin." He spun around to face her as she did the same. "Let's dance."

"What the hell are you doing?!" the monkey spider shrieked as Franky and Robin grabbed each other's hands, spinning each other around. "I tell you you and your friends are doomed, and this is how you respond?! You truly must have lost your minds!"

"Are we doing it right this time?" Franky asked, picking Robin up briefly and spinning around.

"I don't think our first try was so wrong," Robin said, biting her lip as she focused. "It was just missing something special. And this time, we have it."

"That special something—?"

"The thing that makes fusion possible—"

"A born ability!"

"But some are born with it—"

"Some achieve it—"

"And some have it thrust upon them—"

"Like something else I could name."

"You mean a life of crime?"

"You know it!"

"Don't make me do anything embarrassing, now."

"As long as I don't act dignified in any way!"

"Then it's a deal."

Franky tossed Robin into the air, and she dove into him, their arms and hearts open, and with a brilliant flash of light, a cloud of smoke, and the scent of flowers, their fusion was complete.

"Thanks so much for waiting," said a pleasant, deep voice. As the smoke cleared, the monkey spider reeled back in shock as a person almost twice Robin's height stepped into the light. Their face held Franky's nose, a split chin, and long slicked back violet hair. A miniskirt barely covered their lower half while the rest of their legs were covered in fishnet stockings, and they wore a crop top made almost entirely of lace.

"And now," they said, striking a pose with their four tattooed arms outstretched to their sides, "you can do me another favor and die."

With one swift motion, they slammed their hands into the bridge with a massive burst of energy, causing it to crumble beneath them and sending several zombies to the ground. As they started to fall with their enemies, they spread their four arms out to the side, and four glorious wings formed from their backside.

"Here comes the superb angel!" they declared, flapping the hands in unison. As soon as they were close enough, all one hundred and four of their hands pointed at the bridge and extended.

"Strong Fleur!" they announced, shooting back up and forward flipping onto the remains of the bridge, landing neatly. "Now that was supercharged!"

"All this time, and I still haven't found my bride!" Absalom cried, despairing. "Oh, where could she have gone?!"

"Your bride won't come for you," Cindry said, not looking at him.

"Cindry!"

"Chopper," Nami whispered, hiding inside Kumashi with him and Usopp. "Will you fuse with me?"

"What?"

"I don't want that creep to find me. Fuse with me now so he won't see. Please?"

"O . . . Okay," Chopper said. "It's a tight fit, but . . ."

They clasped hands, closed eyes, and pressed their bodies together. Usopp yanked his hands back, and with a burst of light, Chomi came into existence.

"Be careful!" Usopp hissed. "I almost got trapped inside you!"

"Kumashi, what have I told you?" Perona's muffled voice shrieked outside. "Emitting random beams of light is so not cute!"

"That was close," Chomi whispered.

"Listen to me, damn it!" Usopp whispered, hitting their shoulder.

"Why won't you die, you supernatural freak?" the fusion of Franky and Robin demanded, yanking zombie spider after zombie spider away from themselves while pounding the largest one into a pulp with several disembodied hands.

"Ow! Ow! There's a line, you know, and you just crossed it! You're one to talk about freaks, anyway! What's up with your body?! Where did those other two people go?!"

"That is super none of your business, you rude little monkey."

"I'm a spider! And you're trapped!"

"Damn it," the fusion hissed, looking down at their feet now encased in webbing. Having a thought, they opened their mouth and blew fire onto the ground around them. The zombies scattered and the web disintegrated.

"Very clever!" cried a voice nearby. The fusion and the zombies looked around. "Forgive me for intruding, but I think I'll be dealing the final blow in this battle!"

Out of nowhere, Brook leapt up from the ground and drew his sword. As soon as he sheathed it, the monkey spider collapsed, and a dark blob emerged from its mouth, flying into the sky.

"It's gone back to its master," Brook said, watching it go. He turned to the fusion. "Excuse me, si . . . mada . . . pardon me, might I ask your name?"

"The name's Frobin," they replied, striking a pose while their face remained impassive and their four eyes, mixtures of blue and brown, stared. "It's nice to meet you, Brook."

"Frobin-san, then," Brook said in relief. "Forgive me, have we crossed paths before? I'm sure I would have remembered someone of your . . . stature. Your nose is familiar, but . . . ?"

"We haven't, but that's not important," Frobin replied, striking another pose. They were even taller than Brook.

"I see," Brook replied, though he remained puzzled. "To meet another new person in the same day—! Frobin-san, are you aware of the nature of this island?"

"Am I?" Frobin said, resting their chin in one of their hands while the other three supported its elbow. "The man named Gecko Moria resides here, and steals the shadows of the superbly unfortunate visitors, such as yourself, rendering them unable to leave for fear of bursting into flame in the sunlight. In addition, many zombies inhabit this island, and my friends Strawhat Luffy, the swordsman Zoro, and the cook Sanji have been kidnapped."

"They've all been taken? Then it may be too late for them," Brook said, lowering his head. "What a coincidence, that you know them and have come upon this island at the same time. Frobin-san, if you can, I would like you to pass on this message to the Strawhat crew, for I consider them my friends, even having known them for so little time."

"I'd be super happy to." Frobin struck another pose.

Brook eyed them and nodded. "Very well. I shall spill everything in my head . . . though my head is as empty as a robbed grave these days!"

"Without the superfluous jokes, if you please," Frobin said, aiming one arm at him as the hand popped open, showing the barrel of a cannon. Brook screamed and Frobin put away the weapon. "That's better. Now, about this island?"

Though Frobin had to threaten him twice more and slap him once, Brook finally told him everything there was to know about Thriller Bark, and left them with the gift of several bags of salt to use on the zombies.

"Wait," Frobin said as Brook turned to go. "What keeps you going?"

Brook turned back. "I . . . I beg your pardon?"

"Looking the way you do, there must be something that keeps you clinging to life," Frobin said, folding their arms. "What drives you to live? Why do you want to keep living, looking like that? Most people would give up being a pirate after they die, you know. So what is it that makes you cling to life?"

Brook chuckled, spinning his cane in one hand. "What a rude question, Frobin-san. But I'll answer you nonetheless. You see, long ago, I made a promise with my crew."

Brook told Frobin his story, and as he finished with quite a dramatic statement, he looked at them and would have blinked had he any eyelids. "Frobin-san, whatever is the matter?"

"Nothing, why do you ask?" Frobin replied, fat tears streaming down their face.

"I . . . you're crying."

"No, I most certainly am not."

"If you say so," Brook said, bemused. "If that's all, Frobin-san, I must be going. I wish you the best of luck with your friends and mine."

"Who are you freaks?!" Absalom yelled as Usopp and Chomi tumbled out of Kumashi.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Perona yelled. Ignoring Kumashi's attempts to defend himself, she pointed to Usopp and said, "That long-nose is one of the Strawhats! But I don't know who that satyr is! They're so not cute!"

"I am too!" Chomi yelled.

"You!" Absalom roared, glaring at Usopp. "Where is my bride?!"

"Nowhere you'll find her!" Usopp said, hiding behind Chomi. "Let's go!"

The two of them fled with the zombies and Absalom in hot pursuit. Chomi transformed into their centaur-like form for better speed, but both Usopp and them found themselves on the ground, stunned by Absalom's attacks.

"Ha!" Absalom crowed, picking up Usopp by the collar. "Now you'll tell me where you hid my bride, or else you'll suffer an even worse fate!"

"Don't!" Usopp cried, shielding himself. "Okay, okay, I give! I'm sorry, Nami! She's . . . she said she was gonna hide in the forest! In the tallest tree, far away! Don't kill me!"

"That's more like it!" Absalom exclaimed, dropping him and running off. "I'm coming, my love!"

"Nice work," Chomi said, struggling to their feet and helping Usopp up. "For a moment I thought you were gonna give it away!"

"Me? Never," Usopp said, puffing out his chest.

"There's something weird about the way that guy attacks," Chomi added, furrowing their brow. "I'll have to think about it—Usopp, we're surrounded!"

Right on time, several hands sprouted from the ground, shoving something inside the mouths of the zombies. One by one, all of them collapsed, black shadows flying out from their still bodies.

"Need a hand?" came a voice from the top of the stairs, and Usopp and Chomi looked up.

"Who's that?" Chomi said in wonder.

"I'm Frobin, of course," Frobin replied. They dropped to the ground, stuck out one leg, and spun around, sweeping several zombies out from under their feet. They jumped back onto their own feet, hopped onto the banister, slid down, and hit the ground running, grabbing Usopp. "Let's go!"

"Frobin . . . Franky, Robin . . . so you're a fusion, too!" Chomi exclaimed, galloping alongside Frobin and Usopp as Usopp stared up at them, shocked.

"You guys work really well together!" he exclaimed, tearing up. "Thank god you came when you did, Frobin, we were in real trouble! This is Chomi, by the way!"

"A super pleasure," Frobin said with a nod. "We've got to super-vous back at Sunny. The captain, the swordsman, and the cook are already there."

"A captain, a swordsman, and a cook walk into a bar," Usopp murmured to himself.

In a sudden burst of light, Franky found himself running and carrying Usopp, and Robin found herself running alongside Chomi. Both blinked and stumbled and slowed before picking up the pace again.

"Aw, already?" Usopp exclaimed.

"Sorry, bro!" Franky said, grinning with Robin. "We'd been together for a while, actually! We'll tell you all about it when we're back home!"

"The tallest tree, the tallest tree," Absalom muttered to himself, darting through the forest. "But they're all tall!"

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed as Chomi unfused with a pop, sending Chopper flying into Robin and Nami flying into Usopp. "Fuse again! I didn't get to meet Chomi!"

"Your sheer stupidity made us unfuse," Nami said, leaning against Usopp and putting a hand to her head.

"Nami-san, my dear, are you quite alright?" Sanji exclaimed, flitting over to her and checking her over. "Did that reindeer take too much out of you?"

"Rude!" Chopper yelled from where Robin was holding him.

"I fused twice today, dealt with a creep twice today, and had to spend way too much time running. Shut up."

Sanji glared at Usopp and Chopper. "Did you tire out my Nami-san?"

"Don't blame us!" Usopp yelled.

"More importantly, our shadows are gone," Zoro said, moving around and watching the floor. Nami moved away from Usopp and sat against the railing instead.

Luffy tapped his foot. "Hm . . . Usopp, fuse with me for a sec?"

Usopp nodded and they clasped hands. Lusopp stretched and looked around himself.

"Oh, that's weird!" he exclaimed. The shadow moving on the floor copied his every motion, but it was Usopp's shadow, down to the height and the outfit.

"Bizarre," Franky said, scratching his head. Lusopp unfused and Luffy ran off to check the kitchen supplies.

"Usopp, Chopper, can you catch us up on what happened with you three?" Robin said, setting Chopper down.

Usopp and Chopper recounted their story, detailing as much as they could remember about the zombies attacking them, particularly the one who resembled Sanji, and—

"WHAT?!" Sanji roared. "Some creep wants to marry my Nami-san?!"

"Sanji-kun, I'm fine," Nami said from the railing.

"I won't forgive him!" Sanji yelled, bursting into flames.

"Whoever this lion guy is, he must be brave to want to marry Nami," Luffy remarked as he stuffed his face with cheese. This earned him a kick from Sanji and a boot tossed at his head from Nami.

"So as I was saying," Usopp said while Sanji paced the deck, trying to cool off, "we watched that big guy cut off Luffy's shadow . . ."

He finished the story with Chopper's help. By this time Sanji had cooled off, helped in part by Zoro dumping a bucket of water on his head, which had sparked a fight, which was only just ending thanks to Robin's many-handed intervention.

"In other words, we need food, and to get our shadows back," Luffy said.

"Wrong order," Usopp snapped.

"Right, it should be treasure, then shadows, then food," Nami said.

"That's still wrong!"

"Treasure?" Luffy said.

Nami nodded. "Some zombies were talking about a treasure room earlier. Someone wouldn't let me check it out, though."

"We would've died!" Chopper cried.

"So?"

"Moving right along," Franky butted in. "Now, about that skeleton . . ."

"So, what's the pla . . ." Nami looked at Luffy. "What are each of us doing?"

"I'm gonna go beat up Moria," Luffy declared. "It's the fastest way to get all our shadows back."

"I think I'll go check up on the skele-man," Franky said, grabbing the back of Luffy's shirt to prevent him from running off too soon. "He's pretty strong, but he did say he hasn't been able to defeat the zombie with his shadow in all this time."

"You said his zombie's some legendary samurai?" Zoro said. "In that case, I'm coming with you. I want to see it."

"I want to go look for the treasure," Nami declared.

"And I'll be your bodyguard, Nami-san," Sanji cooed.

"You guys are all going the same way, right?" Chopper said, pointing among Nami, Sanji, and Luffy. "Then I'm coming with you! I'll figure out what I'm doing later."

"Me, too," Usopp said.

"I'll do the same," Robin said with a smile.

Luffy glared at Franky and Robin. "And you guys aren't allowed to fuse again without me there to see it!"

"No promises, captain," Robin said. Luffy pouted.

Usopp passed around bags of salt for everyone, and Franky and Zoro split off from the others as the groups went their ways.

"What is that guy doing?" Hogback demanded.

"Sir!" one of the zombies said, saluting. "He's preparing for his wedding ceremony even though he cannot locate the bride, sir! He wants you to come to the reception!"

"There's no time for dancing!" Hogback shrieked. "Oh, forget that idiot Absalom! Moria-sama, may I borrow two zombies from you?"

Perona's Negative Hollows were sent flying through the Strawhats's bodies, and all five collapsed.

"I wanna die and get reborn as a slug," Zoro mumbled into the dirt.

"I'll never be loved by a woman," Sanji whispered.

"I can't do anything right this week," Franky said, staring at his hands.

"I'm even less cute than a worm in the dirt," Nami murmured.

It was only Usopp who stood up against Perona.

"It's no use!" Usopp said in a loud whisper to Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Franky as the four of them struggled to their feet. "If one of you fuses with me, her depressed ghosts would work again! It has to be me!"

"If you're sure," Sanji said, standing.

"We'll leave this to you," Zoro said, running off with the others close behind.

"Wait!" Usopp shrieked. "You can still stay and help take out the others! Jerks!"

"You're a brave man!" Sanji called as the four of them disappeared down the hallway.

"We'll never forget you!" Nami yelled.

"I hate my friends, I hate my friends, I hate my friends," Usopp chanted under his breath as he turned back to face his enemies.

Absalom tapped his foot, waiting at the end of the aisle.

"Sir?" piped up a zombie in the audience when the silence became deafening. "Where is the bride?"

"She's coming!" Absalom roared, making the zombies in the audience jump and freeze. "She just needs more time!"

"He couldn't find her, so he's hoping she'll stumble into his arms," one of the zombies whispered to his neighbor.

"He's a desperate and pitiful man," agreed the neighbor.

"I'm a desperate and pitiful man with good hearing!" Absalom yelled.

"Let's split up here," Nami said as the group reached a crossroads. "I'm sure the treasure room is down this way. Sanji-kun, keep me safe."

"Yes, my love!"

"We'll go look for Brook," Franky said, pointing to himself and Zoro. "You two, good luck!"

"Sanji-kun, wait," Nami whispered, stopping him outside the large church doors. "That guy in there, that's the creep who wants to marry me and saw Usomi in the shower. No, wait," she hissed, smacking him as he started to charge in. He stopped and took a deep breath, looking at her for instructions. "We'll find another way around. I don't fancy you or me fighting him."

"Whatever you say," Sanji said, disappointed nonetheless.

"Oh, my bride, where could you be!" Absalom cried from inside the cathedral, making Nami and Sanji tense. "When I find you, we shall be wed! Then, I will bestow upon you a kiss of true love, first on your lips, and then on your—" Nami scrunched up her nose. "And then we'll—" Sanji tensed, his lip curling in a snarl. "And after that we shall—"

"I changed my mind," Nami hissed. "Sanji-kun. Fuse with me and let's fight this pervert together."

"What?" Sanji said, shocked.

"I don't fancy our chances if it's you or me, but if we're together . . ." She glared at him. "Just don't be weird about this!"

"Nami-san!" Sanji cried, smiling. "I promise!"

She seized his hands and yanked him to his feet, pulling him in close and giving him a maniacal grin. "Then let's do this!"

The cathedral doors flew off their hinges and Absalom barely ducked the collateral damage even as his audience was taken out in the process. "What?!" he yelled. "Who?!"

"You dare try to marry a lady against her will?" said the person, stalking into the room as one of their legs cooled off and one warmed up. They flipped their hair, a shining mixture of yellow and orange, out of the way, though part still covered half of their eyes on their face, decorated with swirling eyebrows. A black skirt was held up by suspenders over a short-sleeved collared and cuffed white shirt, and their long, strong legs bore knee-high black boots.

"Oh, wow," Absalom said, rubbing his chin. "Say, if you're a lady, I might have a replacement for—"

"Quiet!" the person yelled, silencing him with their fury. "I am both a lady and a gentleman, and I am marrying no one today! Except perhaps Nami-san! Quiet, Sanji-kun!" The person closed their eyes and sighed, opening them again soon to glare at Absalom. "Let me introduce myself! I am Sanami!" They stomped one leg on the ground and it burst into flames. "This leg represents the burning passion of a maiden!" They stomped their other leg on the ground and it steamed with frost. "This leg represents the ice-cold fury of a maiden!"

"Ice-cold . . . huh?" Absalom said.

"Today, you will taste both! Prepare yourself, villain!"

The battle between Sanami and Absalom raged on long. As soon as Absalom recovered from his shock of seeing this strange new strong person, one whose shadow didn't quite match their body for some reason, he began to fight back. Unfortunately, his secret was soon discovered.

"You see," Sanami said, clenching their fist in front of their chest, "long ago, I discovered the Clear-Clear Fruit in an encyclopedia of Devil Fruits, and made it one of my life's missions to find and eat it so I could—! Sanji-kun, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Nami-san, please—! You're no better than him!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Absalom roared, leaping at Sanami, who barely dodged. "Do you have a split personality?! Do I have to make you sneeze to weaken you?!"

"You wish!" Sanami yelled, gathering themselves together. "Take this! A maiden's burning fury!"

"I thought it was ice-cold—? Ow!"

"Whoa—!"

Just before Sanami could deliver the finishing blow, the building around them and Absalom crumbled. Sanami dodged the falling rocks with ease and grace, but Absalom was crushed in the rubble, rendering him unconscious.

"Serves you right," Sanami said, giving him one last kick. They unfused, revealing Sanji clutching Nami's sleeve.

"Nami-san, please," he cried, tears in his eyes.

"Sanji-kun, it was great working with you," she said, plucking his fingers off of her shirt one by one. "Now that that creep's out of the way, I need to go get the treasure, and now that Oars is back, you should go deal with that."

"But, Nami-san—"

"I said go! I'll be fine!"

She took off before he could argue further, and he watched her go, falling to his knees.

"She said it was great working with me," he said, tears spilling down his face. "I knew it. I knew it! She loves me!" He leapt to his feet. "Watch out, Oars, you bastard! I could take on a hundred of you right now!"

"Absalom!" the zombie Lola roared, leaping into the church. Sanji screamed. "I've come for—! Who are you? Absalom! My dear!"

"Um . . . hello," Sanji said, inching away. "Do you . . . like that man?"

"With all my heart!"

"Oh, it's very unfortunate that he's been knocked out cold by all this chaos, and definitely not by anyone I know," Sanji said, still backing away. "But he's all yours."

Lola approached Absalom with a gleam in her eye, but paused and turned to Sanji. "Say, have you seen a nice young woman named Namizou?"

"Namizou . . . ? I think so," Sanji said, smiling. "Why?"

"She's my friend, and with everything happening, I want to make sure she's . . ."

"Oh! She's just fine, I saw her a minute ago," Sanji said, relaxing. "I'll be off, ma'am, you do what you need to do here."

"Oh, I will," Lola said, lunging for Absalom as Sanji ran away.

"Wait, wait, guys," Usopp said, sitting up. "I have something even better than Docking!"

"Even better than Docking?" Franky exclaimed.

"What, what?" Chopper cried.

"Tell me!" Oars roared.

"Not you!" Usopp yelled. "Guys, gather 'round!"

Speedy plans were formed and the group split off into pairs. Oars, fascinated by the proceedings, didn't bother to stop them, and soon enough the first part of their plan had formed, all three of them.

"Whoa, so super!" yelled the new fusion. He flexed his muscles, his blue metal nose shone, and he grinned as his dark blue hair waved in the wind, his lower half covered by short shorts. "Watch out, giant! Fropper's here to take you down!"

"Give the rest of us a chance, will you?" Zosan said, cracking his neck.

An ominous giggle came from the left. "We'll all get our turn, won't we?" said the other new fusion. Their nose had somehow increased in length, and unlike Fropper's two eyes, this fusion had three fierce ones. Their long and curly black hair fell around their face and shoulders, and their outfit was akin to a feudal warrior's garb.

"You look like a tengu," Fropper said in awe.

"Don't be rude," the fusion said. "My name is Rosopp. Let's get to work and put this beast in his place."

Sanzo clicked his heels, revealing hidden blades. "Rosopp, take care of things down here," he said, running for Oars. At the last second, he stabbed one of his shoe blades into Franky's leftover stone nunchucks and leapt high into the air, slamming the weapon into Oars's arm. As Oars stumbled, Rosopp raised their four hands, and a tree-like formation of them sprouted from Oars's back at the same time about half of them threw oil bombs onto the ground beneath him. Zosan landed back on the ground at the same time Fropper began rising above it.

"I've got you now!" he yelled, his two eyes laser-focused on Oars even as he built and built and built the stairs beneath his feet. He raised his two fists and slammed both into Oars's jaw. Oars's head rattled and Fropper grinned as he fell back to the ground, supported by Rosopp's quick-thinking hands.

Meanwhile, Sanzo saw his chance and ran for Oars again. He raised his leg and delivered a deadly combination of a kick and a slash, sweeping Oars's leg out from underneath him and sending the giant to the ground with the help of the oil Rosopp had spilled.

All three of them unfused. Franky and Chopper grabbed each other, laughing, and Usopp and Robin high-fived.

Unfortunately, their joy was short-lived. As soon as Oars freed himself from the ground, there was too much chaos to fuse again, and as much as Oars wanted to see the cool tactic once more, he wouldn't let them stay together long enough to complete it.

"We'll have to take him down separately," Zoro called, sweat rolling down his face. He studied his new sword. "Besides, I want to try this out, and I might not get to if I'm fused with someone."

"Right," Sanji said, rolling his eyes internally. "In any case, as long as Luffy hasn't defeated Moria yet, we can at least get his shadow back. Let's do it!"

"Nami-san!" Sanji cried, spotting her in the distance. The battle with Oars was ever more frustrating since the giant was determined to keep them apart so they would not become a part of each other. "Nami-san, you're alive! Would you like to fuse again?"

"You never fused," Zoro and Usopp said together.

"Yes, we did! Nami-san declared her love for me and everything!"

"Sanji-kun, shut up!" Nami yelled, threatening him with the Clima Tact.

"He's so desperate he's making up stories," Usopp whispered to Zoro.

"A desperate and pitiful man," Zoro agreed. Oars's fist came down and sent them flying apart.

"Sanji!" Chopper called.

"Right!" Sanji yelled. Standing on Oars's arm and grabbing each other, the two spun around and fused with a brilliant flash of light. Their fusion gave himself no time to admire his form, instead transforming into his form with more powerful legs and delivering a stunning blow onto Oars's right arm.

"That doesn't even hurt," Oars grunted.

"It will!" the fusion promised, brushing dirty-blonde hair out of the way of three eyes. "Just as sure as my name's—!"

With Moria's help, Oars pummeled the fusion into the ground. When he raised his fists, Sanji and Chopper were lying among the rocks.

While the Strawhats were too injured and tired to fuse at all during the final fight with Oars and Moria, the battle was won nonetheless, and the shadows were returned to their proper owners.

But the fight wasn't over.

"Don't you take his head," Zosan growled, limping towards Kuma.

Kuma turned to him, face unreadable. "And what could you two say to me that could convince me not to?" he said.

"Two?" Sanzo repeated.

Kuma set Luffy down. "Unfuse, and I'll hear you out. Otherwise, your captain's life is forfeit."

Zosan glowered at him and unfused.

"How did you know?" Sanji said.

"I don't have to tell you, Black-Leg Sanji. What do you two have to offer that could be worth your captain's life?"

"By the way, Sanji-san," Brook said, beckoning him closer as he played the piano. "I also witnessed the exchange between Zoro-san and Bear-san. I happened to see your offer, as well. You two amaze me."

"I can't take any credit," Sanji said, shaking his head. "That unconscious idiot is the real hero."

"Now, don't say that, you would have done the same, wouldn't you?" Brook said. Sanji was silent. "I must have been very dazed at the time, however. For a moment I thought I saw the two of you become one person, and then become two people again. Very strange."

"Ah, yeah," Sanji said. "That was—"

"Any requests?"

"How about—?"

Brook set his fingers to the keys and began playing.

"You already know?" Brook said. He chuckled. "I suppose Frobin-san told you everything, hm?"

"Frobin?" Luffy repeated, tilting his head. "No, it was Franky who told us. Who's Frobin?"

"What?" Brook said, surprised. "Oh, dear! I didn't spill information to an enemy, did I?"

"Luffy," Robin said, tapping his shoulder. "Frobin is . . . you know . . ."

"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed. "I get it! No, Brook, Frobin's a friend! We'll explain later!"

"Is that so? That's a relief," Brook said, clutching his empty chest. "It's strange, they seemed familiar, but I'm positive we'd never met!"

"We'll explain later," Robin reiterated.

As Brook finished up in the bathroom, he paused, thinking he heard muffled laughter and shushes outside. He tilted his head, dried his hands, and left, emerging onto the deck to find four unusual faces.

"Hello again, Brook," Frobin said, jutting their hip out, placing one hand on one side, and using the other three for a dramatic flourish.

"Nice to meet you," Chozo said with a little smile.

"Try asking weird questions now, I dare you," Luna said, holding up a threatening finger.

Sanuso folded his four arms, the pupils in his third eye roaming around Brook's body. "Should I even ask what you were doing in there?"

"Oh . . . oh, my," Brook said, unsure where to look. "Frobin-san, it's lovely to see you again—pardon me, might I ask your names?"

The fusions introduced themselves.

"This might be rude, but how many of you are stowaways?" Brook asked once he'd committed their names to memory. "Frobin-san, Luffy-san said you were a friend, but as for everyone else—? Where have all of you been hiding all this time?"

"We're all part of the crew, too, in a way," Chozo said, bouncing up and down.

"Really! So soon, and I already have to give up my position as the tallest crewmember! But why haven't we met before? Save for you, Frobin-san, it's just that I thought I'd met every Strawhat before departure!" He took another look around. "And for Luffy-san to pick up so many crewmembers with extraneous body parts, what a feat . . . forgive my rudeness, but this is quite a shock!"

"We're sort of secret weapons," Sanuso said, biting his lip in laughter.

"Supereminent beings, lying in wait until the right moment comes," Frobin said, flipping their hair back. "And then . . . we strike."

"I feel like I'm missing something," Brook said, leaning on his cane and tapping his chin. "Where . . . has everyone else gone?"

"Oh, they're here," Chozo said, bouncing faster. "And there . . . and there . . ."

"Pardon me, but am I being 'hazed'?"

"Sort of," Luna said, grinning. "We—"

A flash of light and a pop sent Chopper and Zoro falling to the deck. Brook jumped back, drawing his sword on instinct.

"We had a good thing going," Zoro complained, sitting up.

"Sorry!" Chopper exclaimed, giggling. "It was too funny!" He paused and frowned. "But, Zoro, your injuries still really hurt."

"Zoro-san and Chopper-san!" Brook exclaimed, sheathing his sword. "You gave me quite a fright! But, Chozo-san is gone now?"

"He was us," Zoro explained, standing and holding Chopper's hand, trying to pacify him so he wouldn't force him into the infirmary. "We mashed our bodies together and made a new person."

"You don't say! Why, I've never heard of such a thing!" Brook took another look around at his company. "But then, does that mean . . . ?"

"Sorry to fool you, but it was funny," Robin said as she and Franky stepped out of each other.

"It was hilarious," Usopp said, falling down. Sanji helped him up. "I'd say, 'You should've seen your face,' but—"

"But I don't have a face," Brook completed merrily as Luna finally unfused, revealing Luffy leaning on Nami's shoulder, both with big grins. "My, my! How in the world does this technique work?"

"It's a big mystery," Luffy explained.

"It's not such a mystery when I'm with Nami-san, because we were simply meant to be together," Sanji sighed.

"You never fused," Zoro, Usopp, and Franky said together.

"We did! Nami-san, back me up!"

"Fusion is kind of a mystery," Nami said, answering Brook's question. Sanji's mouth fell open and he hung his head in despair.

"I see." Brook looked at Luffy. "Luffy-san, if I wanted to try this myself, would you be willing to be my partner?"

Luffy's grin dropped and he pouted, folding his arms and looking away.

"Luffy-san?"

"Devil Fruit users can't fuse with each other," Usopp whispered.

"Oh, dear. Cheer up, Luffy-san, I'll always be by your side whether or not we combine our forms," Brook said, patting his shoulder. "Though, is this technique possible with my body?"

"Wanna find out right now?" Franky asked.

Brook shook his head. "No, no, I'd like time to process these new findings. What a strange technique!"

"You've really never heard of it?" Robin asked. "I hadn't either, but considering your age . . ."

"I've heard of many things, but this isn't one of them, Robin-san." She nodded, thoughtful. "Luffy-san, please don't fret so!"

"I'll never be a cool skeleton," Luffy mumbled, puffing out his cheeks.

"Keep up your woe-is-me act and I'll help make you into one," Nami threatened.